Hannah McGuire’s ex-partner jailed for 28 years for murder after burning her body near Ballarat | Victoria
A murderer has been jailed for 28 years for killing ex-girlfriend Hannah McGuire and burning her body in a brutal attack in regional Victoria.
Lachlan Young, 23, stared straight ahead as Judge James Elliott handed down the sentence at the high court in Ballarat on Tuesday.
Young will be eligible for parole after 22 years and 4 months.
He initially denied killing McGuire and claimed the 23-year-old’s death was a spontaneous event while taking the case to court.
But after eight days of testimony before the jury, Young admitted to strangling McGuire in the bathroom of their Sebastopol home around 2:30 a.m. on April 5, 2024.
He then pushed her body into the footwell of a Mitsubishi Triton, drove it into remote wooded land in Scarsdale, and set the vehicle on fire.
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As he left the scene, Young used McGuire’s phone to send messages to his mother, Debbie, claiming he was going to take his own life.
He then transferred $2,000 from McGuire’s bank account to his mother and $5,000 to himself.
In his sentencing, Elliott described the murder as brutal and callous and said Young had deliberately taken deceptive steps to conceal his crimes.
When McGuire’s family and friends learned of his killer’s sentence, they looked at Young and breathlessly said “yes.”
national in Australia domestic violence counseling service on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national number. domestic violence helpline Call 0808 2000 247 or visit: Aid to Women. The domestic violence hotline in the US is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be reached at: www.befrienders.org
